Poaching one player from every Jaguars AFC South rival in 2022
35. . . . Kevin Byard, safety. 31. player
No. 2 AFC South player the Jaguars would like to poach: Kevin Byard, S
Titans safety Kevin Byard couldn’t help but laugh when he saw Jaguars wide receivers Laquon Treadwell and Laviska Shenault collide against each other due to communication issues last season. That was one of the lowest points of the 2021 season for Jacksonville, as they went on to lose the game 20-9.
On the other hand, Byard had a pretty good year. He started every game and had 88 total tackles, 13 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and five interceptions. He gave up a completion rate of 51.7 percent when targeted. Furthermore, the safety made the Pro Bowl and was named First-Team All-Pro for the second time in his career.
What makes Byard’s 2021 campaign even more noteworthy is that he was coming off a down season, one in which he logged just one interception. But even in his worst year, he was still solid, which shows how talented he is. Since 2017, the Middle Tennessee State product has registered 23 interceptions. The Jags would like to have that kind of production from the safety position.
Andre Cisco is poised to make a leap in Year 2 and Rayshawn Jenkins should bounce back in 2021 but there’s no doubt Byard would upgrade the Jaguars’ safety room. He isn’t what you would call underrated but it’s a bit surprising that he doesn’t get much attention as other defensive stars in the league and Jacksonville would gladly take him in a heartbeat.